Inserted joint rotary drill stem



Dec. 6, 1932.

G. A. MONTGOMERY INSERTED JOINT ROTARY DRILL STEM 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug 25. 1951 FIG II FIGS.

FIGS.

Q15 TAVUS.A.MON TGOME'RK IN VEN TOR.

Dec. 6, 1932. G: A. MONTGOMERY INSERTED JOINT ROTARY DRILL STEM Filed Aug. 25,1931 ,Z-SheetS-Sheet. 2

FIG.\3.

FIG.l2.

FIG.IO.

IN V EN TOR.

GUS TA vus.A.Mo;v TGOMERV.

- Patented Dec. 1932 l 1,889,872.,

- uNiTEn sTAT s PATENT-OFFICE ens/raves A. moureomnav, or DALLAS, arms n msnnrnn JOINT no'rnay DRILL sum 7 Application fl led August 25, 1931. Serial K0. 559,286.

This improvement relates to hollow shaftoperatively with box 'counterbore retains luing, which conveys great torque and high bricant in threaded connections. 7 pressure hydraulic flow. Its chief uses ar e' ,To provide a drill stem wherein the in in connection with deep earth boring for oil, terior upsets on the tube requir a m m m gas, water, or minerals. Due .to the manner gather of metal and wei ht, thus forming in which the tubes are joined, one to another, a s o fl i p ge tree om a p the article is called an inserted jointrotary P L i 1 f v drill stem, a l ady i di t d, i To ehmmate all supplementar connecting The object of m i'nventionis to provide Collars and make di thread n j a newtype rotary in stem, which possesses m one F to eri greater strength and durability in the thread- To P eaded connection whereln ed connections, combined with. the lightest the more mg stresses of g twn total weight of assembled stem in comparion structurally P Q E member, and Son ith any hithe t d drill stem f the pm member, wh1ch'1s of lesser structural 15 equivalent ifi ti strength, is Sub ected to a stress of a less? To Provide a durable, acutely tapered 'ngolous t which is Q p Q coarsely threaded connection to join, one tube Afurther oblect 15 to aVQId y y unit t th h i the requisite Stop expanded shoulder on the pin end, but to, emshoulders. to limit entry of the pin member Ploy an edasetlc flange S i' so into theboxmember are within the tubes stacked drl'll stem stands on t e derr ck floor avoiding ext i h ld I y to protect the threads, or while the tubes To P i adurable, acutely tapered, ,arelvn tranesltmr F' i l" coarsely th d d connection having a TO'PIOVldG a conical seat on the pm end of li i interior shoulder eachtube adaptedto permanently retain a 35 vents localized over-loads on the threaded reslhent tube gmde m the of a parts e to w y g the pin joint within siliefit ringconical recess encompassed within the outer the box joint v 'ghgaccompgnying'drawings illustrate the To provide; an .acutel ta d co 1 em 9 unentso the invention, whereln' I hreaded connection havi ilg a elf-adjd i n Elgar-e 1 1s partlauy sectlopal elgva' liquid-tight sealon end. of the tube-Pin an penal Vlew of a tube lmlt, partlcula'rly h bottom-of the tubebox to form a liquid-tight mg the tape-red 'eyxtenorly expanded elevator an ahead of'the threads. e P ms tool e t box lend- A further object is to Providea drill stem a ptm-any {lain-m1 and having near its box end an outwardly ex -tional new rshowma'the Ell-1mg together 9f banding-taper or inwardly receding recess to' two tub-e cqnfrontmg-box'and '85 serve as a conically. tapered seat for elevators (ind Spherical 9nd thrust Surfaces or slips. p I p .r n a hqugd-tight omtahead threadls z o I mure ddflYlWS lIIllfiIilO 1gure2s ow.- I 0 provide on the pin end of the tu e a In}? the. mining tggether of two tube units, s w erein t e tu e, ox has a spherical seat and I Estimate: 2 u genheim; r z has? e make threaded connections to the drill stem if: tfii r i of ifi end ifig il l b tfd d mandi g-p i ti g 0f e pin upwards. 'inultaheously ormin'g a self-aligning liqiiicL A 5 Toprovide on the pin end of the tube an ti ht'seal. 7 l I lext rion inwardly recedlng conical section i'gure i isaview similar tdFigureQshow: I lav nga circular. recess, said-conical section mg the" jolning together of two tube units, and recess serving. as seat'and retainer for a wherein the box bottom andipi'n' e'ndhave/fl'at 1 resilient guide ring. surfaces,,and the annular spacer ring between 1 0 'loprovide means'on the 'pinend which 'cothe pin end and box bottomis a self-contained and self-adjusting end thrust ring and liquid seal unit.

Figure 5 is a detail view of a snap ring, which retains a certain thrust ring, later described, in place.

Figure 6 is a partially sectional and elevational view of the spacer ring, in Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a partially sectional and eleva tional view of the spacer ring, shown in Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a partially elevational and sectional view or a resilient lubricant retaining rin or packing.

igure 9 is a partially sectional and elevational View of a modified type of spacer ring.

Figure 10 a view similar to Figure 1 showing another type of tube unit, having an inwardly converging conical recess adjacent to the box end to form an elevator or grappling tool shoulder, and having on the pin end a secondary conical structure to receive a resilient guide ring.

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure showing the joining together of two tube units such as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the joining together of two tube units having exterior recesses at the pin and box ends.

Figure 13 is a view similar to Figure 10 showing a simpler form of tube, devoid of elevator shoulders or cones.

Figure 14: is a partially elevational and sectional view of a modified type of collar for use on tube pins, having no exterior stop shoulders and whosepin diameter is not substantially reduced below the tube diameter.

In very deep wells the actual weight of the rotary drill stem suspended'in the well bore may become so great that the uppermost tubes and their threaded connections are stressed. so heavily longitudinally that the residue of strength for performing useful .work, consisting of rotating the boring tool and conducting the mud laden fluid to the boring tool, and the margin of safety are very small. This longitudinal stress will be still further accentuated on the threaded pin memher, if the joint happens to have stop shoul-' ders externally of the pin end and box. In fact, it is possible, and in practice it has often happened, that by excessively tightening the threaded connection the pin has been sheared. W'hile drilling, the longitudinal stress on the pin threads increases in direct proportion to the torque if the pin joint has an external stop shoulder-as mentioned above.

By placing the seat on the pin end as at 14 or 40, (Figs. 1 and 10) the stress on the pin member is. composed solely of compression,

and therefore the torque does not cause-elem gation of the pin threads.

Inv threaded connections in rotary drill stems, the male or pin members 13 and 39 (Figs. 1 and 10) are the weakest,- and the festress position which is elongation.

of length, and as the costof auxiliary connections is proporfionately greater than the cost of tubing of equivalent length, and fur ther because auxiliary connections invoive a greater number of threads than is required when connection is made direct, I have eliminated all sub-connecting collars, their excess weight, excess cost, and unecessary threads. Usually, the auxiliary connections include threads of more than one pitch and diameter. in my new connection threads ofonly one pitch and diameter are required, thereby lessening the fishing hazard as well as manufacturing and reconditioning costs.

their pin and box ends exteriorly expanded to form square elevator orgrappling tool shoulders and stop shoulders for the pin and box. Such exterior integral shoulders on both ends of the tube consume too much of the tube length, resulting in short, and for their length, too heavy tube units. Because such tubes also used exterior pin and box stop, shoulders-the-pin becomes undersized in comparison' to box strength. In addition to that draw-back, such pin thread is in longitudinal stress due to the tightening of the joint by tonging and by the boring torque.

Tubes have also: been made to convey a hydraulic flow, wherein one end of the tube was exteriorly expanded intoa collar to receive regularly threaded tube ends.

The present invention differs in design from azll previous tube forms, as will be evidenced by the reference tothe drawings.

Figure 1 shows a tube having an exterlor outwardly expanding taper 5 terminating in an expanded cylindrical section 3 previously denoted the box member. The conical section 5 provides an enlargement which affords a grip for. a. so-called elevator or grappling.

- tool or for rotary slips, and the cylindrical In the past tubes have been made having inseam nating in a square shoulder 7. The outer-end of. the threaded box 4 has a.relatively long counterbore 2 which, cooperatively with the resilient packing .ring 11, retains lubricant between the threads on the box and pin after the joint has been made up.

In addition tofthe taper 5,providing a seat for an elevator or for the slips of a hoisting apparatus as later brought out, said taper serves as the means for automatically open- 7 ing the casing head packing devices when -introducingthe drill stem into the well under a. high rock pressure. If the box 3 were formed with an abrupt nether shoulder such shoulder would-act as an obstruction against said sealing devices and would necessitate the attention of an extra operatorto open said sealing devices at the. same time bringing about the objectionablecondition of 'releasing dangerous volumes of ignitible gas. 1 It will presently be brought out that one type of the drill stem (Figs. 10 to 13) is substantially flush in its outer contour, but the type in Figures 1 to '4 has anadvantage of causing its shoulder '1 to abut the nether side. of the foregoing sealing devices and thus, to a degree, prevent the forced expulsion of j the drill stem from the well under high rock pressures. Upon mechanically abstracting the drill. stem-from the well it may become fn'ecessary to have an operator present to see to-theopening of the sealing devices, but in practice the edge of the shoulder 1 will be appreciably beveled or rounded to facilitate :1. working its waythru the sealing devices 13 as already brought out. Both the box and pin ends of the tube are interiorly reinforced as shown at 8 and 10.

The oining of two tube units 9 as shown in Figure 1 is illustrated in Figure 4. An end -.thrust ring which spaces the tube end 14 from the shoulder 7 of the, cylindrical bore 6, consists of two rings 26 and 29. The remote ends 25 and 31 of these rings (Fig. 7) are fiat and cut at right angles to their axis.

' Their inner faces 32 are respectively concave and convex spherical, annular surfaces. The

, two rings are held together by a sheet iron cup 28. The lowerring 29, is press-fitted in the cup 28 and ring 26 is loosely fitted in the cup 28. The upper edge 27, of the cup 28,. is spun or flanged inwardly into a groove 30,

inring 26. The outer lower partof thecup 28, is press-fitted in the bore 6. The spherical seat 32'permits the flat face-25 to align with the tube end'14 regardless. ofwhich angle the pin sway may assume in relation to the box threads. I

.The reason for using the self-aligning spherical seat is as follows: In any threaded joint, straight or tapered, there exist minor voids between the threads permitting a certain amount of play. The drill stem, bein a'relatively very slender shaft, when rotate in a well bore larger than the outside diamiv eters of the collars, will sway from side to side. Further, well bores are never straight, therefore everyrevolution of the drillstem tends to cause a leverage by the pin in the threaded box, and eventually expands the ,-mouth of the box until it becomes bellmouthed. The thinner the box wall 3 has become'worn', the easier will the box be expanded by the swayin of the pin in the box.

The box being tapere the bottom end of the box is more rigid and consequently stretches less, and therefore may be assumed to retain its thread size. If the stop shoulder7 in the box, and the pin end 14, have their flat surso that fracture will result. If t e end 14 of the tube has opportunit to sway slightly on its seat 15 in the box, the pin neednot bend to and fro, therefore'fracture does not occur. The spherical seat will permit such sway and remains liquid tight under all conditions of alignment. It is possible to provide several types of spherical end thrust means within the scope of my-.in'vention,.bnt only the simple ones need be illustrated. The assemblage in Figure 3 shows an exteriorly threaded ring 24 which is freely seated in the counterbore 17 which terminates in the spherical stop shoulder 15. In

Figure 6, an enlarged view of the ring, shows that the crests 23 of the threads have been cut flat. The thread diameter is such that the ringv 24 may be screwed tightly through the smaller section 18 of the threads in the box 4, but the ring will never be able, without assistance, to pass out again and fall out. The length of the ring 24 is less than the length of the counterbore 17, therefore the unscrewing of the pin 13 from the box 4 will not withdraw the annular thrust ring'24. Still another simple form of thrust ring is seen in the assemblagein Figure 12.*The

thrust ring 24. is shown enlarged in Figure 9 19 when the thrust ring 242 is inserted into its place. The spherical seat 20 of the thrust ring 24 will rest on the stop shoulder 15 and the snap ring 22 holds the ring 24* loosely in place, permitting free self-alignment.

' ure :2- and Figure- 11.

The rings in Figures 6, 7 and 9 serve also as spacers between the end of the tube and the box stop shoulder, providing an easy, cheap and accurate method to size the pin by limiting its entry into the box. It is intended to serve as a gauging element.

At this time it is believed desirable to describe in detail the occurrences upon screwing a pin 13 or 39 (Figs. 1 and 10) into a box t or An important fact-or to be taken into account is to screw the pin and box together in such a way that the elastic limit of the metal is not exceeded. The screwing together of the pin and box places the box under tension by virtue of the outward expansion by the pin, and puts the pin under compression by virtue of the reluctance of the box to expand, both the expansion of the box and the compression of the pin being below the elastic limit of the metal.

These factors obtain upon the occasion of a full thread contact, characteristic of the coarse threading herein adopted. and when the full thread contact is established there will be the foregoing lateral or radial stresses between the box and pin. bin in order that these stresses may not be excessive, as already indicated, the function of either the stop shoulder 17) or the thrust ring Ql comes into play to gauge or limit the insertion of the pin. T he reason for this limitation is to enable the transmission of what may aptly be described as a useful reverse torque.

This term must be understood, and it is most easily understood by reflecting for a moment upon the happenings in the well bore. The rotary at the top revolves the drill stern, but sometimes there will be a temporary obstruction at the bottom that serves to hold the drilling tool back and incidentally cause a twist in the-drill stein, it being remembered that the rotary continues its forward driving function with substantial uniformity. When the obstruction at the bottom is overcome the relaxation of the gtwist in the drill stem will tend to-cause it to spring forwardly in the direction of rotation, in other words momentarily turn ahead of the driving eitort of the rotary. This sets up a reverse torque in the drill stem, and the eitect or" this reverse torque is to unscrew theedrill stem at one or more of its couplings.

New. with every pin and box so gauged that the foregoing reversetorquewill be disseminated byarelaxing efiort in the pins and boxes it follows that there can be an infinites imalunscrewing efi'ect in each pin and box without breaking the seal between the ring and the pin end.

It is easy to understand that without the ring to stop the screwing in of each pin, such screwing may easily be carried beyond the elastic limit of the metal so that no useful reverse torque would result. The joint would then become too tight. The reader must not gain the impression that a too tight joint is not desirable. The point is that the instant coupling is designed to enable breaking out of the pin or 'dissassemblage of the coupling at the surface. I

If the pin were screwed in so tight that no relaxation could take place in the bore under the circumstances named then it would be impossible to disassemble the joint when necessary at the surface. To summarize, the pin is screwed into the box sui'liciently hard to make an absolute seal either against the stop shoulder 13 or against the thrust ring 24 yet leave enough laxity in the threads to permit breaking out at the surface, said laxity, when not permitting an infinitesimal unscrewing; in the well bore, being insuilicient to disturb the seal-oft between the pin end and its stoo shoulder.

Frequent allusion has been made to the acute taper of the pins 13, T term is used to define a considerably more pronounced taper in the pin and be threads than is customarily used in tubing oints for well drilling. T he amount oi taper adoptetl herein, is approximately to 3 per foot as distinguished from to per foot in the known types of tubing joints.

T he purpose of this pronounced taper, in other words the acute taper, is to enable a substantially instantaneous connection or pin and box without the. l kelihood of lling the threads. Th pin is ii :crtible elm st to the bottom thr ox, who iuipon a full threaded connection is established by giving the box approximately four to sir: full turi Tfhen this has been accomplished the box and. pin will be under the foregoing degree of expansion and compression below the elastic limits oi the metal. A fractional turn beyond this condition ill establish the final seal-0d between the. pin end and its stop shoulder.

The advantage of the acute taper in the pin and box oint also'obt-ains in the unscrewing process. Imagine the tube 9 (Fig. l) to be suspended by a hook from the top of the derrick preparatory to unscrewing it from a companion tube.

It is readily understood that the various tubes of a suspended stand are under longitudinal tension. When one of the tubes is tonged for unscrewing it from its companion this longitudinal tension will produce an immediate separation after four to six turns in the unscrewing direction. Thus it is conceivwith acutely tapered have two or three. of its tubes unscrewed .while only one tube of a standhaving threads able that a stand having. its tubes coupled of the conventional is unscrewed. g

The tube so far described, has an integral,

type in-its pins and boxes exterior expanded box. There are conditions in well boring when it isde sirable or neces-.

sary to avoid exterior projections. beyond the exterior cylindrical surface of the tube. My

joint is equally well adapted as a flush joint, for. example as in the modified construction as shown in Figures 10 tol3 inclusive.

.The'Figure 1.0 shows below box 33 an exterior recess 34 terminating in shoulder 41. Thisrecess and shoulder may be used as an abutment either for-an elevator (grappling hook) or slips.

Inasmuch as. the exterior of the box 33.is limited to the tubejdiameter, the threaded 39 is reduced correspondingly but conforms to previouslydescribed designs, excepting that {The cushion rings .16 and above. the threaded cone 37 and packing recess 38 I form another conical section 36 of a taper greater than that of the cone 37 which section 36 has a circular recess thereon- (lone-.36 and recess 35 receive and retain. a resilient guide or cushion ring 42, shown. in Figurell.

42 are usually 1 :u'sed on,the* upper section of the-drill stem 3 which remains within casing when drilling,

and are less frequently used in an open hole. In the assemblage in Figure12 is shown the connection of two tubes having an .extGI'IOrI'BCGSS 49 on the". pin as well as on the box end of thetube as at 34. In general pract1ce,the box end is always uppermoston all tube units forming the assembled drill stem, I but on occasion when it becomes necessaryto have a pm end pointing upwards on .one

' "1 tube unit, the same elevators and slips must be usable to handle such tube unit, therefore,

I provide said recess 49 on the pin end also. It is not necessary to have the pin end recess 49 on every tube, about three or four of such tubes beln'g enough for one string of drill plpe.

The tube shown in Figure 13is similar to tubes in Figure 12 excepting that the cushion retaining cone 36 (Fig. 10) and the pin end recess 49 are eliminated. These twotypes of tubes are inter-changeable, onefor the other,

inthe same string.

.It-isobvious that shoulders 41 and 5t).do .not form exteriorprojections beyond the outer surface of-the tube, therefore, a drill stem composed of tube shown in Figures 10 or'13 isa flush inserted joint drill stem. It is equally obvious that thread connections,

andthrust and end thrust alignment, liquid seal'ahead of threads and means to retain a 1118 and boxes can a lubricant on the threads are. similar in all designs shown in main principles. 1

fioing any of the'strength in-the box.

is also obvious that the threaded joint having the exteriorly expanded box 3 and unreduced tube pinl3 (Flgs. l and?) is the v I stronger of the two types-of, connections, but

that-both designs have, a tube of the same exterior diameter, and may be handledby 3 the same elevators,- slips and 'pipe tongs It is recommended to"- use theflush Joint type .tubes in the lowerend ofthe string in connections in the upper end of the drill stem anopen hole. and .the expanded joint tube which remains within the casing. 'A stem made up in this fashion is safest drill stem made.

The choice of useoffany type of annular the strongestand spherical seal andend thrust ring; separator "or integral with-the tube, and the selective.

arrangement-of details in one tubeon another tube herein disclosed, is considered within the scope of this invention, though.

the principle of ball or spherical joints is old.

The nature of the operating conditions being ever changeable, the use or non-use of the cushion ring 42'is o tional with the user.

I ,From the foregoing-1t is clear that in my new threaded tube. connection no exterior abutting surfaces betweenpinand box joint are used. :The ring 42 is flexible, therefore.

abutment 43 contributes nothing toward the end thrust on-box end.

Lubricant retaining ring 11 iselastic enough tobe pressable into recess 12 (Fig. 2)- andbe retained by its elasticity.

.It' is noteworthy that the water-course 46 (Figs. 2 and 4) in my joint maybe. made somewhatlarger than the water-course in.

" By-the elimination of every. exterior shoulderonthe pin end of the tube. a stronger I and larger diametere'd pin than the standard .pin in two-picce tool ioints may be had.

But of by far greater importance are the more'favorable stress conditions in thread ed portions of connecting members.

' A" feature of considerable importance in any drill stem is'how easily it can be handled on the derrick while the tubes are parted to sections to be stacked'side .by side and stood on their pin ends in a very limited space.

Having eliminated the exterior flange onpin ends the fourbles pin ends standing on derrick floor had a. tendency to stack too-close to each other. making it difficult manipw late the handbook used by derrick men to guidethe pin end of each stand in'the course of operations. Occasionally, even the pin threads become mutilated by colliding with another tube. To overcome these objections, I provide a. semi-circular recess 47011 the end of the tube (Fig. 4) to permanently retain a short, exterior-1y cylindrical rubber ring 48 of equal or less diameter than the box 3. Ring 48 serves to space the fourbles standing on tubing boards, prevent the otherwise unprotected threods from colliding with other tubes, and in general facilitates the handling of the tubes on the derriclr and when stacked for storage, or in transit. Ring i8 is not to be assumed to be a substitute for or equivalent to guide ring 15, whose purpose is to guide drill stem in a well here and retard Wear on tool joint collars and conductor cas ing. Ring 48 does not reach outside of box 3 end is also too short for the purpose of the guide 16. its elastic properties will re tein it iii-groove 4'3. Tubes shown in Figures 10, i2, and l3 no require such ring, their threaded pins being reduced. {in tubes such as in Figure 11 ring -22 extends beyond hos collar and is longer than ring ii-"8. It is used for an entirely diiferent purnose, namely as guide the in the Weil bore, and is or e tfifi'erei-rt design than ring i5.

i is:

1. In ret R Z fiiZQlY gr pered Phil described my invention, whet 2oz member, an acutely ta- .inber, said members being threaded fo egeinent to an extent Where in the "box is an er tension and the pin under eninpression, and spherically suri'eeed cooperotiwre'y er means nsseci'ated with said members to form and nmintain a fluid seal er the threads throughthe en ZLLCE of e'lestie stress between 'Sllx'l 'ennblinge permissible reverse torque.

2. in s drill fieni song-sling, an ecutei'y "he: member, en eoetely *pered member, sein being threaded to an extent wherein the box is under tension pin under eempression, engaging means emeiated said -members to form and maintain a fluid seal throughout the entlun ence of an elntu e stress between said memenabling a permissible reverse torque,

7 is under tension and the pin under compres sion, saidipin member being inwardly thiekened to preside a substantial end face and neeeere said face being spherically surfaced, said box member having a'spherically surfaced stop shoulder of an area substantially equal to the adjacent pin end face and adapted for having acooperative engagement therewith to form an internal fluid seal in advance of the engaging threads of a degree of friction enabling a reverse torque in said engaging threads Without breaking the fluid seal at said base and shoulder.

e. A rotary drill stein comprising a tube having an vacutely tapered box member, a eempnnion tube having an acutely tapered pin member, said members being threaded tor engagement to an extent wherein the box is under tension end the pin under 601113396525 sion, it sent embodied in the pin member havinge spherical-contacting surfeoe, and econfronting stop shoulder embodied in the hearing e eompleinen spherical oontaoting eurfeee, said surfe.e% forming an internal iluid seal in advance of the threads and being eepeble of relative motion without breaking the seal ei'ter it limited reduution of the tension in the box due te Wearing away of the i982.

5. A rots-3y drill stem coupling comprising tube hernig an acutely tapered box "her, a mu enicm tube herring an acutely tapered pin member, said membas I 1 1 I I to an efent where the box is r tfil ll and the pm under nipress on, e spherieel ly sin ed stop shoulder eruhodied in the box, saiu shoulder merging with a counter bore which extends to the of the hex threa$, and e spherically suureveed seetim'rnntion on the n extending into said counter bore end being edeeted to exercise n sealing oil pressure see-id shoulder.

-51, A'uotdrill stein coupling oompris 2 tube 19 4g acutely tapered box er, a eonipen-ion tube having 211 acutely its, ed pin member, said members being threaded for engegernent to an enterrt wherein the is tension-end the pin under 'eenigiressien, e stop shoulder embodied in the @295, said sheuicler merging "with a counter bore which extends to the inner terminal of the hex threads, e seetzformetion on the pin niemberextending into said counter lame and adapted to exercise a sealing ofi' gpsmssure en emid shoulder, and a thrust structure internesed the seat mid shoulder, being engaged by the east and oecugvying the reenter here to gauge the screwing in of the pin member so .ss not to-euoeed the elastcic dimitot' the metal, seat, ring-and shoulder composing an internal seal-elf in advance of the engaging threads of a degree enabling normal diameter at one endto provide en-enlargement, said external taper causing the parting of sealing devices in a casing head construction when lowering the drill stem into a well, said enlargement having a tapering box member, and a companion tube having a tapering pin member, the taper of said member beginning at the normal diameter of said companion tube, said box and pin memhere being threaded for engagement.

8. In a rotary drill stem, atube having a tapered box member, said member belng threaded and terminating in an internal counter bore, and a thrust ring loosely situated in the counter bore, said ring having threads by which it is screwed into and past the smallest threads of the box member until it drops into the counter bore.

9. In a rotary drill stem, a tube having a tapered box member, said member being threaded and terminating in an internal counter bore, a stop shoulder in the counter bore having a spherical contacting surface, and a thrust ring having a'complemental spherical surface on one eiid and a flat surface on the opposite end, said ring having threads contact surfaces, and means carried lily of fluid into the thread spaces, and packing means in the confronting annular recess and shoulder at the base of the counter bore, a

companion tube having a tapered pin member, said members being threaded for engagement, a seat at the inner terminal of the pin member, and a thrust ring assemblage be-, tween the seat and shoulder, said assem lage comprising a pair of rings having spherical one of the rings, fitting the counter bore an having a flange to hold the other ring in place.

GUSTAVUS A. MONTGOLIERY,

by which it is screwed into and past the I smallest threads of the box member until it drops into said counter bore.

10. A rotary drill stem comprising a tube having a tapered'box member, said member being threaded and terminating in an internal counter bore, a stop shoulder having a spherical contacting surface merging into the counter bore, a thrust ring having a complemental spherical surface on one end and a flat surface on the opposite end, said ringbeing threaded for screwing into and past the smallest box member until. said ring drops into the counter-bore, a companion tube'havmg a tapered and threaded pin member screwed into the box member, and a flat seat at the inner terminal of the tapered pin member engaging theflat surface of the thrust ring. 7 v v i m 11. In a rotary-drill stem, a tube having a taper-threaded box member, and a ring hav ng external threads by which it is screwedmto and pastflthe smallest of the taper threads, sald-bgxli'aving aeo'iinter bore receivmg the sage-era smaller diameter than the rootfdiameter. of said smallest threads and bemg of -a depthgreater. than the thicknessof-thering;

12. a rotary drill stem comprising a tubahavin'gfa taper-threaded box member v w1th,-counte1- .'bores at opposite ends; a sto shoulderin' the box member merging wit v onepfitheeounter bores, a companion tube havm a taper-threaded pin member screwed into tfieboxymember, mgan annular confronting the other counter bore iii-the box member, a seat on theinner terminalof the pin-member making a metal to metal contact with the shoulder 0011- said pin member havsequently a seal-oi to prevent the seepage; I i 

